A three percent drop in listings at eBay this week could be due to a boycott kicked off by enraged sellers this week, or simply a dip in the normal course of business.
Fee changes coming into effect at eBay have the potential to impact smaller sellers, as eBay appears ready to court high-volume sellers much more heavily in 2008.
The hue and cry for attention from eBay has been heard, at least. Sellers called for a boycott of eBay this week over fee changes that include increases to the final value fees they pay to eBay upon completion of a transaction.
Fortune Small Business noted the change takes place on Wednesday. They also cited a tactic eBay used last week, in promoting a one-day discount on listing fees
Listings made on February 13th could run as long as ten days. A spike in listings made that day may offset whatever small gains the boycotters may have hoped to make.
eBay has been standing firm with its changes. We think they may see the protesting sellers as a less-profitable nuisance eBay would not mind seeing depart, especially if they plan to be more friendly to higher volume sellers.
With that likely being the case, we think eBay sellers who are truly dissatisfied with the online marketplace should measure the merits of staying with eBay versus permanently stepping away. Other sites like Amazon offer auction services, and plenty of options exist for more active sellers to create and operate ecommerce sites.
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